


All the Ashes in My Wake

by kaientai



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, F/M, Gift Fic, Non-Linear Narrative, Social Justice, lots of politics in here mhmm
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:20:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22206250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaientai/pseuds/kaientai
Summary: A child not embraced by its village will burn it down to feel its warmth.
Relationships: Ushijima Wakatoshi/Reader
Comments: 15
Kudos: 101





	1. Leave the Ruins Where They Fall

**Author's Note:**

  * For [deltachye](https://archiveofourown.org/users/deltachye/gifts).



> my love, my life. you deserve all the ushi content there is.

Miyagi was a kingdom that prided itself as a utopia where people lived in peace—free from darkness brought by the influence of magic.

But the truth wasn't always so black and white. 

"Daichi," you grunted, doing your best to haul your half-conscious brother away from the carnage. "Can you hear me?"

The captain of the Kingsguard could only groan in response as he tried to stand up on his feet, but his effort was ultimately overrun when he slumped further into your hold. The weight of a knight donned with full-plated armor wasn't easy to carry, and you nearly ended up stumbling into the rubble of what's left of the king's monument. 

You stopped in your tracks, eyes riveted on the wreckage before you.

The gallows that had been set up for today's execution had been smashed into pieces. Panicked cries and pained moans filled the air. Columns of smoke rose from the blackened spires and walls of buildings as uninjured knights clamored to get as many citizens to safety. 

You stayed rooted in place, supporting Daichi as best as you could when you caught sight of Asahi, whose face and armor were covered in soot as he ran towards the ruined pavilion. In his arms was a noble who didn't seem to be conscious. Asahi gently placed him on one of the blankets laid out by Sugawara, who set up a makeshift triage to tend to those who couldn't make it to a physician's office in time. Even cheery Hinata was rattled by the situation, quietly handing the medical supplies Sugawara needed when he requested them. 

In the opposite side of the thrashed plaza, Yamaguchi, who sported a nasty gash on his face, stood by Tsukishima as the latter lobbied the other civilians to seek shelter in the parts of the city that weren’t engulfed in flames. Kageyama, Nishinoya, and Tanaka were also putting in their own effort as they rounded up a couple of volunteers to put out the inferno that continued to burn through the nearby buildings. 

The same inferno that came from your own hands. 

"It's not your fault."

You startled at the sound of Daichi's voice. He'd been the one to take the blow when one of _that man's_ underlings tried to petrify you with a stunning spell, so it's definitely a surprise to know that he can even speak. Sincerity and pain intermingled in his dark brown irises, and you had to steel yourself so you wouldn't break down in anguish.

"It is," you interjected, keeping your gaze straight as the two of you neared the triage. 

Your brother kept his silence for a moment, watching you intently before speaking again. "You only wanted to help." 

"Yeah." You scoffed, smiling bitterly at your own actions. "And I did everything _but_ help."

Daichi didn't say anything else after—either because he knew you were right, or simply because he didn't have the energy to argue with you anymore. 

It took you a while to reach Sugawara, but when you did, the silver-haired knight gasped at the sight of his captain fading in and out of consciousness. 

"I couldn't see what happened when they made their escape," Sugawara said as he helped lift off Daichi's weight off your shoulders. You sighed in relief until you began to feel your own fatigue coursing through your veins. "I didn't know he took the brunt of the damage." 

"He...protected me," was all you told Sugawara, and thankfully, he didn't ask for any more details—the urgency of the captain's condition demanding more of his attention.

Asahi and a couple of other knights from the Iron Vanguard brought in more severely wounded civilians, and, knowing that you might be obstructing their operation, you decided to distance yourself from your fellowmen. 

You opted to gaze at their coordinated effort from the shadows of a still-intact statue of the Silver Swan, the holy guardian of Miyagi. Their damage control was commendable, and you ought to be proud of them for managing to minimize the casualties. But how could you when you're the one who's caused all this? When it's _your_ fire that nearly burned the capital city to the ground? 

"And I thought my trusted Kingsguard could get the job done swiftly." 

The mere sound of his voice had you grinding your teeth into dust.

Turning around, you met the Crown Prince's sharp gaze. "You are not yet king, Prince Tooru," you reminded him with a hint of false courtesy that you sure hope he'd notice. "Your expectations of the Kingsguard are not our main priority."

The prince was the kind of person you'd fall in love with at first sight. He'd definitely taken after his mother, the Queen, and his blessed looks did him a lot of favors. Soft, chestnut hair with the eyes to match; sharp cheekbones and a jawline sculpted to perfection—it's a shame such a gorgeous face was given to the cruelest of men you've ever met. 

"Oh?" Tooru's mouth bowed into a condescending smirk as he flicked his cape to the side. "Is that how you address the man you're betrothed to, (Name)?" 

"I’d rather get eaten by a Silverwing raptor than accept your hand in marriage," you spat. 

He chuckled at your animosity, obviously unfazed by your words. That's when you noticed his advisor, Iwaizumi, lingering a few feet behind him. In his hands was a rolled up scroll, tied in the middle with a silk blue ribbon. To a regular civilian, that could've been a random document, but you knew _exactly_ what the prince's advisor was about to do.

"Now, I don't particularly mind what you think of me, dear (Name). But the fact still stands that the Kingsguard failed to execute that criminal Ushijima when I ordered it," Tooru relayed, his smile turning more menacing by the second. "And what do you know? Turns out, _you're_ the reason why he managed to escape along with all the mages we've locked up for years. Such actions account for treason, don't they, Hajime?" 

Iwaizumi cleared his throat before coming forward to undo the ribbon on the scroll. His shoulders were squared with the implication that he'd rather not go on with the task he's expected to. But being Tooru's advisor had many drawbacks, and one of them is carrying out orders even if he sincerely didn't want to.

Without another word, Iwaizumi read its contents loud enough for the whole plaza to hear. 

"The escape of Ushijima the Shackled poses as a great threat to the peace of Miyagi. Not only that, but he has also released his fellow mages from their prison cells. They are now at large with more powerful magic, and this unfortunate turn of events was put into play by one of our own." Iwaizumi breathed deeply, hesitation lining his features, before continuing.

"On behalf of King Kosuke Oikawa, I order the arrest of (Name) Sawamura for committing an act of high treason by playing as the accomplice to the escape of Ushijima the Shackled. She is to be kept inside the dungeons until further notice." 

The sentence rang in your ears. You stood in the white silence, unblinking, as you let the king's orders soak further into your consciousness. 

Prison. You're going to _prison_. The place you've been dreading to be thrown into since you were a child—they're _finally_ going to put you in there. To rot. To _die_. Like all those afflicted eventually do—

" _Don't._ " 

You snapped your eyes towards Daichi, who's sitting upright against Sugawara's protests.

For a second, you thought your brother directed the word towards Tooru. _Don't_ take her away. _Don't_ lock her up. You thought he was about to stand up for you, like he always, _always_ did. 

But Daichi's gaze, even with the distance between you, was locked on your hands. 

Then, you felt it—the little sparks of fire that pulsed from your fingertips whenever agitation crawled underneath your skin. Even though you trembled in your own armor, scared to death with what was coming, the flames were faint enough that no one would really be able to see them. They were but tiny wisps of light that could only be seen if you'd spent quite some time bearing witness to it. 

_Don't let them know_ , was what your big brother had meant to say. 

"I'm sorry to break it to you, captain." The prince's disdainful tone riveted your attention back to him. Tooru's lower lip jutted into a pout that you wanted nothing but to smack off his face. "But your mage-loving sister has to serve her time as all criminals do. The law is hard, but it is the law." 

Daichi's face remained deathly calm. He was, after all, still the captain of the Kingsguard. With the title, came the sworn fealty to the laws of the land, and even if you were his own flesh and blood, he would have to allow you to be taken to where you’ve been ordered to be. 

"Oi, you," Tooru called out to the nearest knight, who happened to be Hinata.

"Y-Yes, your majesty!" He immediately ran to the prince's side, trembling to his knees. 

Tooru studied him for a moment, almost looking displeased at his lack of composure. "Take her to the dungeons and put her in Ushijima's old cell. If you so much as try anything funny, I think I’ll have fun watching your family get featured on the next show at the gallows."

The prince tossed a ring of keys towards Hinata, who fumbled with them as he caught it, and the poor boy's face paled at the prince’s threat. For a moment, Hinata's gaze flickered to meet yours, and you could clearly read the silent apology written in his eyes. He didn't say anything more, settling with giving the prince a curt bow before rushing to your side. 

The plaza was eerily quiet as all eyes fell upon the both of you. Hinata made a display of aggression by pretending to roughly grab your wrist to appease the prince, since he didn't have any restraints on his person. Not that you planned on resisting, anyway. 

As the two of you strode past the people that littered the ruined area, you couldn't help but hear their faint murmurs being whisked into the stale air. _Mage lover_ , they called you. You wrinkled your nose at their blind assumptions. The citizens of Miyagi have always stood by the word of the royal family. If they only knew how _that man's_ blatant betrayal made you feel about their kind— _your_ kind—maybe they would be more forgiving.

Ah, but when has this country ever taken a mage's predicaments into consideration?

* * *

"I'm really sorry, miss." Hinata's voice echoed once across the stone walls. 

You stared at him with a barrier of iron bars in between you, too exhausted to say anything in return. Then, your gaze went to the entrance to your cell—the same one where _that man_ was previously held. 

Light spilled from the grated windows outside, almost blindingly so. The other, less secure cells have all been bashed in with brute force or magic—you didn't really know. The freedom of the imprisoned mages came with the destruction of Miyagi's maximum security prison. It seemed like only this cell in particular remained intact. 

"It's alright," the ginger-haired knight offered in consolation. "I'm sure Prince Tooru just made a mistake. T-The real culprit should be caught soon enough!" 

Chuckling softly, you spared Hinata a gentle smile. "It's the king that sent me here, Hinata. Are you suggesting that His Majesty made an error?"

"W-Wha—of course not!" The young knight sputtered, face flushing with panic. "It's just—the captain's sister would _never_ betray the Crown and the country like that! A-All the knights in the Kingsguard can attest to the fact, miss!" 

You sighed deeply, thanking the gods for having someone put such faith in you like this. But you bit down the relief just as quickly as it surfaced. The only reason Hinata was giving you the benefit-of-the-doubt is because he, like the majority of those around you, didn't even know what you _were_. 

And you intended to keep it that way. 

"You best be on your way," you convinced him. "The prince might start to suspect that you've turned into a traitor as well if you stay too long. I'd rather not have your entire family slaughtered, you know." 

Hinata let out a yelp at the reminder, bowing to you as if you were an important figure before leaving the cell in haste—closing the door and locking it shut. 

There, you stood in darkness. 

With a stuttering breath, you lifted your palms in front of you, eyes closed as you replayed all of _that man's_ teachings in your mind. 

_Magic isn't something you call upon. It's a part of you. You don't call for it—you draw it out._

Gulping nervously, you inhaled the damp air around you, still fresh with its previous inhabitant's musk. In earnest, you tried your hardest to overlook the too-familiar scent so you could channel your concentration into summoning your own flame. At first, drawing out your magic felt like reaching for a needle in a haystack. Now, it was as easy as tugging on the chains of a dire wolf.

There, you pictured out a set of chains and a collar. But instead of the usual, gray dire wolf that you conjured in your mind's eye, what you saw instead were eyes of viridian; too warm and too sincere for a man convicted of the murder of three Mageseekers. You remembered the way the illumination from the torchlight you'd bring during your visits danced across the fine angles of his face. Years' worth of stubble and the grime that smeared his skin didn't even lessen his regality at the slightest. A petricite collar and bleak, iron chains didn't belong on his neck—they never did.

You remembered every time your fingers brushed through the iron bars as you gave him books about the outside world he hasn't seen for half a decade. The way your heart raced and your face burned with embarrassment was something you hoped had slipped past his vigilant eyes. 

You also remembered the calm baritone of his voice—how level-headed he always seemed for someone you expected to have incurred bitter resentment for nobles like you. 

Just by letting the memory of him brush across the surface of your imagination, you could already feel heat prickling the skin of your palms. The light emanating from the low flame burned in the back of your eyelids, but before you could even see it for yourself, your concentration snapped. 

When your eyes fluttered open, there was nothing but the endless darkness before you. The warmth that filled your bones at the mere thought of that man, of _Ushijima_ , had vanished, leaving you with a chill so cold, you shivered in your temperature-resistant armor. 

Was this how he felt? In all the years he's spent in solitude, serving time for a crime he never did, all he had was this darkness? You've only been here for five minutes, but you already began to understand him a little more. 

_I'm sorry, little flame._

"No," you murmured to yourself as you curled up on the damp floor; tears stinging your eyes. "I'm the one who's sorry."

You could only pray to the guardian deities that he could hear you. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did this on a whim for Vera, the biggest Ushijima stan to walk the Earth, and also one of my favorite writers :3c Sorry! Your mans will make his legit cameo next chapter <3
> 
> If the plot is slightly familiar to you, it's because I based it off some League of Legends lore that I became absolutely _enamored_ with when I finished reading it. But of course, I'll be tailoring the AU to my taste (and hopefully your tastes, as well), since the canon League storyline was too bleak for a Haikyuu fic. We all deserve happy endings, pals.


	2. Burned by Liars' Gold

"Miss? It's almost noon. Sir Daichi is waiting for you at the dining hall." 

You cracked one eye open, huffing out a drowsy groan. The sunlight that filtered through the resplendent curtains of your bedchambers razed your vision, and you had to squint so you could see Yachi, your personal maidservant, standing by the foot of your bed. Her cheeks were flushed crimson with an unnerved look in her light brown eyes. You wondered why she looked so on edge this early in the day, but you were too sleepy to question her.

"Yachi, could you draw the curtains for me," you grumbled, turning your back from the windows so you could extend your slumber a few minutes more. God, these sheets were so sinfully soft.

“B-But—"

“That’s alright, Yachi. I’ll wake her, myself.”

Yachi let out a little yelp in surprise but didn’t say anything more as you heard her shuffling away. The hitch in your breath as your eyes widened at the sound of your brother’s voice wasn’t inconspicuous either. Didn’t Yachi just say he was waiting in the—

“Good morning, beloved sister of mine,” Daichi greeted with faux-cheeriness as you felt your mattress dip under his weight, which was a _lot_ since he seemed to be fully equipped with armor.

You purposely made a show of faking a yawn as you stretched out your arms with enough theatric flair to seem ridiculous. Rubbing your eyes—and hoping he’ll let whatever he’s mad about slide—you grinned at your brother from ear-to-ear. “Good morning, Daichi. Is breakfast ready?”

“Breakfast was ready _hours_ ago.” He smiled, but seemed like he was about to pop a vein then and there. “It’s nearly ten minutes until midday yet you’re still basking in the comfort of your blankets. That is awfully lax of you, hm?”

Your brows knitted in apprehension because whenever Daichi was beginning to talk like Sugawara, it usually didn’t mean anything good. Swallowing thickly, you threw the covers off yourself and let out a nervous chuckle, jogging your memory with any agendas you might have overlooked.

“Um, is it your…birthday?” No. Daichi’s birthday was _months_ away. You were really just grasping at straws here.

He breathed out such a genuine sounding laugh at your response that you were convinced that you were off the hook for a second. But then, his mirth vanished in a flash—his usually warm eyes turning stone-cold with irritation.

“Say, what’s our family name again?”

“Huh?”

“Our family name,” he repeated. “What is it?”

You inhaled a shaky breath, wondering what he was even on about. “S-Sawamura.”

Daichi nodded slowly. “Yes. Sawamura. And what has our family been doing for generations now?”

A frown stretched across your lips. Why was he being so vague? “We’ve been leading the Kingsguard since the first king of Miyagi was crowned centuries ago… _oh_.” The gears suddenly started clicking into motion inside your head, any semblance of drowsiness having fled your mind. “Oh, gods,” you muttered, carding your fingers through the tangled mess of your hair. “Right. That was today, wasn’t it? Um, give me a minute? We can still do patrols since it’s only—”

“You made His Majesty wait.”

Your face paled. “I— _what_?”

“Would you quit acting so clueless, (Name)?” Daichi raised his voice, causing poor Yachi, who’s still inside the room to squeak in surprise. “Your knighting ceremony was supposed to take place this morning. And as you’re fully aware, the king himself blesses all aspiring knights of the Kingsguard with his own sword.” There was a pause in his lecture as Daichi dragged a palm over his face to quell his frustration. Then, he threw another rueful look at you. “How can he do that when the knight he’s supposed to acknowledge is fast asleep in her bedchambers?”

“W-Wha—Yachi!” You turned to your servant with a pleading look. “Why didn’t you wake me up earlier?!”

“I’m s-s-sorry, miss,” she told you, ducking her head into a bow. “Sir Ukai didn’t allow it. S-Something about a knight needing to be responsible enough to wake up on their own accord?”

Even with your brother practically seething in front of you, you could feel every nerve ending beneath your skin freeze over at the mention of your mentor. If Daichi was pissed beyond comprehension, you could only imagine what punishment Ukai was going to bestow upon you for your impudence.

Noticing how obviously rattled you were, Daichi’s expression softened as he sighed. “Well, since the damage has already been done, could you enlighten me at least? You don’t usually oversleep, (Name). Did Prince Tooru do anything strange while the two of you were out?”

Prince Tooru. Right. He took you out for an evening stroll in the meadows the night before. But that was far from the reason why you had the gall to sleep through your own knighting ceremony.

You shook your head. “No, not at all. It’s just…”

Unknowingly, your gaze fell to your curled up fingers sitting atop on the smooth covers of your duvet. You could immediately feel the heat that bubbled in your palms once brandished with a single glance. For a solid moment, you considered telling Daichi about how you stayed up all night skimming through every book about magic in your family’s library—desperately trying to find any clues about how you could hide your…affliction. But in the next moment that passes, you immediately dismissed the thought.

He wouldn’t understand. No one in Miyagi would.

“Well?” Daichi stared at you expectantly.

You took a deep breath, forcing the heat to disperse from your skin. Your fire wasn’t needed now—nor will it ever be.

“Can I still go on a patrol with you this afternoon?” you asked.

Your brother blinked at you numbly for a moment before chuckling to himself. “I doubt that you can get on a horse without Ukai giving you hell for what you did, but I suppose he’ll let you accompany me for the afternoon rounds.”

“You’re the best,” you flattered him, engulfing his broad stature in your arms. Daichi shook his head in defeat as he returned the embrace—his armor-clad sleeves cold against your skin.

When the two of you pull away from the other, you looked back at Yachi who seemed to have recollected her composure somehow. “Yachi, could you help me get dressed? I still can’t get the straps on my fauld to stay in place.”

She nodded shyly. "O-Of course, miss." 

"Make sure to stop by the dining hall after you get dressed, (Name)." Daichi got back on his feet and you squinted a little when the sunlight caught the crest embossed on top of his breastplate. It was a murder of crows that eventually merged into a single crow in flight—the crest of the mighty Kingsguard. 

You almost forgot to respond him entirely with that singular moment of distraction. "Um, yeah. Sure." But when a certain detail occurred to you in the following moment, you added, "Does Ukai happen to be waiting for me downstairs?"

The captain was already halfway out of your bedchambers when he spared you a backwards glance. You weren't very sure if it was concern or spite that laced his brotherly smile. Such was the power of even invoking Keishin Ukai’s name alone.

In lieu of an actual response, Daichi merely gave you a single nod of the head before exiting the room with the groan of the wooden doors shutting to a close behind him. 

"I'm dead," you muttered as Yachi wordlessly helped you out of your silken nightgown. "I am _so_ dead." 

* * *

"Now that wasn't so bad, now was it?" Your brother laughed too boisterously for your liking as he watched you saddle your horse, Onyx. 

You ran your fingers across her ebony hide and occasionally combed through her mane, sneering at him. "Couldn't you have said a word in my defense, at least? You're the captain of the Kingsguard! Even if he's our mentor, I'm certain he'll at least listen to _you_."

"You're yet to truly know Ukai if you can still say that, (Name)." Daichi laughed again, like he was listening to a child's trivial plights. Your brother then hoisted himself on the back of his own horse once he'd finished checking over his straps.

Midnight was much larger compared to Onyx, given that he'd been born two years earlier than your own horse. But they looked similar enough that the only distinguishing factor between Daichi's steed and yours to the untrained eye was their size. 

You decided to abandon the matter of Ukai's prior wrath altogether. It wasn't like it was the first time he yelled at you in the dining hall. He even did that when both yours and Daichi's parents were still alive and _very_ present in that same hall as they chuckled at the demise of their own daughter. They knew that Ukai was only as brazen as he was since their entire bloodline was dedicated to whipping Kingsguard squires and especially Sawamuras into shape, and you've come to terms with the fact ages ago as well. 

Once the stableboy present helped you up on horseback, Daichi tapped his foot against Midnight's thigh to spur the horse into a trot. You did the same with Onyx as you followed your brother closely behind, sparing the stableboy a curt nod before keeping your eyes forward. 

The castle in which the Sawamura family had been residing in for centuries wasn't too far from Miyagi's bustling marketplace. It was a rowdy district where you could never tell where the storefronts began and the residential area ended.

All around you, people were moving, bargaining, and going about their own business. Men in knee-length tunics ushered their cattle before them, yelling out rather astronomical prices for a few goats. Women in long kirtles and wimples wrapped around their heads and necks beckoned customers for some fresh produce harvested straight from the Sendai Plains. There were even a few wealthy looking merchants wading through the throng of market-goers, more to flaunt the imported silk and leather of their clothes than to do business with the rest of Miyagi's citizens. The cacophony of voices that rang in your ears and the orderly chaos that stretched across the entirety of its territory were what made this district particularly difficult to patrol...

And it was also where the afflicted could blend in unnoticed. 

“Ribs of beef and many a pie!” you heard someone call over your shoulder. Turning, you saw a young boy squeezing through the crowd bearing a tray laden with wooden bowls of cooked meats from a local shop.

You didn't really know why the boy's voice in particular drove you to look his way, even if there were hundreds of other merchants calling out for business. But you decided to leave it at that, opting to listen to your brother lecture you about the marketplace altogether instead. 

"You haven't been here on an official patrol, am I right?" he asked, purposely slowing Midnight's pace so that your horses were trotting next to each other on the cobblestone path. You nodded, but even if your attention was mostly focused on Daichi, you still noticed the way the market-goers somehow cleared a path for your swift entry to traverse the road. 

Since he was possibly accustomed to what goes on in the market, Daichi continued without batting an eye at the rest of the citizens, "We were taught that mages liked to hide in alleyways and abandoned places, but that isn't always true. Though the risk of them getting caught is far greater than it would if they simply hid, it's much harder to tell them apart from a regular human if they immersed themselves in our lifestyle." 

You understood what he was going on about immediately—having read in one of the books you managed to scour the night before that the most notorious mages survived by living amongst humans to dispel the suspicion directed towards them. That theory was proven the moment you let your gaze rivet itself on the vast crowd before you. You could only wonder how anyone could ever segregate mages from humans when each person looked so...ordinary. 

"There he is! After him!" 

A loud shriek shattered your train of thought, and you immediately tugged on Onyx's reins so you could come to a halt. You whipped your head in the direction of the brewing commotion and there, you saw that one of the many shops that lined the single lane for the marketplace was in shambles.

Resting on top of a broken wheelbarrow where a couple of cabbages were squashed under his weight, the boy selling meat pies from earlier groaned in pain. Then, the cloaked form of a Johzenji Mageseeker emerged from the crowd, holding his palm out towards him. 

"Seems like Terushima's found one," Daichi sighed as he dismounted from Midnight in the middle of the road. The captain then walked over to the Mageseeker, Terushima's side to assess the situation.

"Did you honestly think you could get away, kid?" Terushima jeered, his confidence probably boosted by Daichi's presence because he suddenly had the courage to lift the boy by his raggedy shirt. "Now, will you pick a fight with us or will you come quietly to the dungeons?" 

The boy, who you realized was definitely no older than twelve years old, was on the brink of tears, face red with frustration. Instead of giving the Mageseeker a straight answer, however, he gritted his teeth and swung his arm in front of him—calling forth spurts of fire that forced Terushima to surrender his grip. The Mageseeker cursed loudly, but his cloak managed to protect him from the attack. However, some of the deflected balls of fire bounced indiscriminately; causing a few shops and merchandise to burn upon contact. The market district's typical noise elevated into a plethora of panicked screams and shouts of terror. In the midst of it all, the boy took advantage of the commotion and made a run for it.

You merely sat on Onyx's back, mouth agape with what just happened, and you were only brought back from your reverie when you heard Daichi yelling for you.

"(Name), go after him!" he ordered in his captain-of-the-Kingsguard voice, helping Terushima and the others put out the flames before they spread to the other stalls. 

Reluctantly, you said, "O-Okay," even if you knew he couldn't hear you over the uproar. You snapped at the reins in your hands and Onyx whinnied in response, bolting towards the entrance of the marketplace. 

The sweltering afternoon breeze cut through your face as you chased the boy who didn't make it very far, given that he only had his two feet as his means to escape. Upon hearing Onyx's hooves galloping against the road, he looked back with widened eyes. His momentary distraction caused him to trip on his own feet, his face pummelling to the ground with a helpless whimper. You managed to stop Onyx before she could trample the poor mage boy. 

"P-Please. I don't want to go to the dungeons. I-I know what they do to our kind down there," he sobbed as he shielded his face from your view. "I didn't mean to hurt anyone... _You_ made me do it! I was only protecting my—" 

"That's quite enough explaining on your end, kid." 

You startled at the sound of another voice emerging from a nearby alley. Kazuma, another one of the Mageseekers came forward from the shadows, dangling a couple of petricite cuffs from his fingers. With a horse and a Mageseeker obstructing any hope he had left for an exit, the boy fell silent, gaze falling to the ground as he accepted his fate.

Once Kazuma secured the cuffs around the boy's wrists, nullifying his magic completely, Daichi and Terushima managed to make it to the scene along with the other Mageseekers that were going to take him to the dungeons. You decided to move Onyx to the side, where they could go about their work without distractions. 

"From what intel I've managed to gather, the kid's a survivor from the Aoba-ku Purge," you overheard Terushima tell another Mageseeker you weren't familiar with. "His family fled into the capital and has been in hiding ever since. These damn mages are getting craftier over time, aren't they?" 

His colleague nodded at him swiftly. "I'll make sure to check his family, then."

"Family?" You frowned. 

Terushima, having heard your muttered query, turned to your direction. "Magic is usually inherited, so it's best to make sure that the other members of the family aren't afflicted." He paused before bowing to you. "I'm really sorry you had to see that, Miss (Name)." 

"No need to apologize for making the kingdom safer," Daichi interjected once he finished discussing something with Kazuma.

Instead of instilling you with the feeling of security, your brother's words only made your grimace stretch farther. That boy really didn't mean to bring harm upon others, as most children his age did—you saw that with your own eyes. The only reason he lashed out with flames (so achingly similar to your own) was because he was provoked, like a cornered animal being hunted.

Yet, he's _still_ the evil one?

"Yeah," you agreed half-heartedly, eyes riveted on the carriage that was about to take him where he could never see the light of day again. "Safer..." 

* * *

Of course, Daichi was the first to notice the shift in your mood once you made it back to the castle.

"I take it that seeing a mage captured with your own eyes didn't sit well with you?" he inquired as he sat beside you on one of the benches that lined the castle gardens. Your brother looked less domineering now, simply donned with a navy tunic and linen trousers. His warm eyes regarded you with obvious concern and you had to look away because his gaze was almost overbearing. 

"Is anyone else in our family born a mage?" you asked quietly, and Daichi reacted so instantly to your question, it was almost funny. He darted around, looking out for anyone who could be eavesdropping on your conversation. But you made sure to tell off the servants to leave you be in the gardens this evening, so the chances of anyone listening in were very slim. 

When he was complacent enough with your privacy, he turned to you. "What are you on about this time, (Name)?" 

"Terushima said magic is inherited," you began as you raised one hand to your eye-level. With little effort, you managed to conjure a soft flame crackling from your palm. "That just means I got this...this _fire_ from someone. But Mother and Father were no mages, so who...?"

Daichi sighed, running a hand through his close-cropped hair with waning patience. Though your brother was one of the most understanding people you've met, he would always evade the topic when you began questioning your own powers. He took your hand in his, smothering the flame you've created. Once it was gone, he let you go with a grim look on his face. 

"No one in our bloodline was ever given a drop of magic in their blood," Daichi told you sternly. "Your powers were given to you by pure coincidence. You shouldn't think any more of them than what they actually are—a danger to the kingdom's safety."

"So you're basically saying that I'm a threat, too?" you challenged him, gaze turning rigid. "If I'm such a danger to the kingdom's safety, as you've put it oh-so discreetly, then why not throw me in the dungeons like the boy we convicted earlier?"

Your brother rested his elbow on his knee as he pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "(Name), we've been over this before—"

"Is it because I'm a noble? A Sawamura?" 

"We have _laws_ to abide by," he reminded. "Mages who hurt others are mandated by the law to serve time in the dungeons."

"But that kid didn’t hurt anyone!" You reasoned almost desperately. "Why was he being hunted for something he hasn’t even done yet? Daichi, this doesn’t make any—"

Your monologue was cut short by the sound of Daichi's fist colliding with the metal bench you both occupied. There was enough force packed in his punch that it left a fist-shaped dent on the surface. You gulped, the words you've wanted to impose evaporating from your tongue when your eyes met Daichi's. 

"You best hold your tongue about all this, (Name)." His voice was quiet, so uncharacteristic of him that it made a speck of fear root itself beneath your skin. "Please know that I'm doing _everything_ I can to protect you. Mother and Father wouldn't want it if you were thrown in the dungeons like a criminal when you're not."

"But—"

"We're leaving this conversation here. You best be at the dinner table when supper is served." The captain then got back to his feet before he strode back to the castle without a backwards glance, leaving you all alone with your own thoughts without any reprieve. 

You bit back a frustrated scream that ached to be released from your chest. Tears pricked the back of your eyes as you felt your palms heating up along with the emotions brewing like a storm in your head. It wasn't _fair_. That boy was just a child. And even if he wasn't, it still didn't give justice to the way Miyagi treated the race of mages as a whole. 

Sparks of fire immediately began dancing around the tips of your fingers, and for a moment, the morbid idea of razing the entire kingdom to the ground crossed your mind. But before that train of thought could progress any further, you immediately killed your flames by curling your fingers into tight fists.

No. You could never hope to change the way things were if you couldn't even control the magic they were so afraid of, yourself. As you grew older, the harder it was to control your flames, and it didn't show any signs of slowing down altogether either.

You needed a teacher—someone who could show you how to keep your powers in check. Just until you could convince the entirety of Miyagi to abandon their age-long hatred for people who never chose to be born with magic in their veins. 

Luckily, you already knew where to start looking. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few notes about this chapter:
> 
> \- I envisioned the Kingsguard crest to look like [this](https://www.flickr.com/photos/23825109@N03/2293816927/), if you need a better visual of it. 
> 
> \- I was kidding--Ushijima is yet to make his cameo, and I sincerely apologize to those who expected it to be here. 
> 
> You can watch me ramble and talk about this fic and my other work here on [tumblr](http://hirugamis.tumblr.com), if my crusty-ass world building has managed to pique your interests enough.


	3. The Dawn of Our Folly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> USHIJIMA TIME

When she was still alive, your mother had been a senior cadet of the Illuminators—a religious order of Miyagi that aimed to educate the masses, especially the poor. It was mostly comprised of female volunteers called Radiants, and once you’ve become of age, you immediately joined their cause to follow in your mother’s footsteps. 

Now here you were, standing before the entrance to the Illuminator stronghold just at the base of the Blue Castle. You could feel the erratic thrum of your heartbeat through your chest, like that of a criminal's that was on the brink of persecution.

 _Relax_ , you told yourself. You didn’t have any reason to be this nervous, really. You were just going to ask a simple question was all.

Solidifying your resolve, you pushed at the double doors that closed off the organization from the rest of the royal castle. Light spilled from inside, where slated windows gave way for the sun's rays to peek in. A statue of Miyagi's swan guardian was erected on a pedestal in the middle of it all, where the sunlight glinted off the shining silver—refracting a spectrum of colors all across the ivory walls.

Everywhere, Radiants scuttled about, busying themselves with the day's tasks: listing the names of new refugees from the war-ridden kingdom of Nagano, gathering supplies for today's orphan schooling sessions, and filing inventory for the kingdom's intellectual property, which took form in the thousands of books housed in the ceiling-high shelves of the stronghold.

You took a deep breath through your nose, complacent with the plan of action you had set in stone.

But that's until you felt someone tap your shoulder from behind. Whipping around, you came face-to face with the current senior cadet, herself, Kiyoko Shimizu. 

“Radiant (Name),” she greeted, her voice as smooth as running water. “What brings you here? Isn't your duty scheduled for next week?” 

Kiyoko must have noticed the way she startled you because her lips then twitched into a humorous smile. You sputtered with your words for a moment, not expecting for her to be here at all.

The king had called for an audience with his grand council earlier this morning, much to Daichi's dismay, since the captain had been in the middle of breakfast when word got out. Knowing that, you figured that the supposed absence of the senior cadet, who's also a part of the grand council, could grant you the chance to browse the pseudo-library undisturbed. 

Sadly, your plans fell through before they could even be put into play. 

"H-Hello, Radiant Kiyoko." You cleared your throat loud enough to be awkward. "Um, I was just curious about…something." 

"Hm… What is it?" She observed you with thinly veiled curiosity, clutching a stack of ancient-looking books closer to her.

You forced down the peal of anxiety that bubbled in your chest. Calm down. Calm _down_. If anyone was out to chase you out into the streets for being born magical, Kiyoko would most definitely be the last to pick up a pitchfork. 

Even with that thought in mind, however, you still couldn't help but shy away from her gaze. 

"Mages," you spoke softly, only enough for her to hear. "N-Not that I sympathize with them or anything. It's just… I think it would be of benefit to us if we knew more about them. About their powers." 

You half-expected some sort of ridiculing reaction from her, as most of the king's council members tend to do so when one spoke of _understanding the enemy_. But instead of an inconsiderate sneer, she merely placed a soft, comforting hand on your shoulder. 

Kiyoko had always been disposed in a way that made you feel like you were sitting by the hearth during a harsh winter. She was one of the rare pricks of warmth in the cynicism and mistrust that festered all around you, so it wasn't all too foolish to think of her as a silver lining. 

"You haven't been assigned to book-keeping, have you?" she asked, her smile turning somber. "I'm afraid all of the magical tomes and spell books that used to be kept here have been transferred to the Mageseeker compound. You won't really find what you're looking for here." 

"Oh."

She nodded slowly, pursing her lips into a thin line. "I'm sorry I won't be able to help you on that. But I heard that Kingsguard knights have full access to the compound's confiscated paraphernalia. Perhaps you could talk to Daichi about it." 

You strongly doubted that would go in your favor, really.

Reminding yourself that though Kiyoko often treated her subordinates as equals, due respect should still be accorded to her. You gathered your skirts a bit awkwardly as you curtsied with the grace of a fish out of water. If she had any comments about your manners (or lack thereof), the senior cadet opted not to say them aloud, nodding at you minutely instead before excusing herself. 

A breath you hadn't known you'd been holding escaped through your nose as you wondered how in the nine hells you were going to get inside the Mageseeker Compound unsurveillanced. 

"My, what's a lovely little crow doing in the Blue Castle?" 

The mere sound of his voice was enough to loosen the threads of anxiety that tightened like knots in your stomach. You were oblivious to the too-wide smile that curved across your lips, but you couldn't really bring yourself to pay appearances any mind. 

Tooru had the corners of his mouth turned up into a charming smile of his own, each click of his boots against the floor leaving stark echoes in its wake. His strides were long enough that he'd closed the distance between you in no time.

You still regarded the aquamarines that outlined his ivory regalia as an odd detail but you never one to question the prince's preference in shades and hues. With a face like it was carved from the finest marble, he could make any color and outfit suit him, no problem. 

"Y-Your Majesty," you stuttered, greeting him with a (thankfully) proper curtsy. 

Tooru chuckled, waving a dismissive hand before him. "None of that, (Name). We've been together since we were children. How many times do I have to remind you that you don't have to bother with such formalities?"

"Yeah, sorry." You could feel your skin flush with the heat of embarrassment as you shied away from his warm gaze. "What brings you here, Yo—Tooru?" 

"I had nothing better to do, really," he sighed, carding his fingers through his hazel tufts as he leaned against one of the tapestries that lined the hallway. He was tall enough that his head bumped the framed artwork's edge, and you couldn't help but feel small in his presence. 

"How about you, hm?" Tooru returned the inquiry with one brow quirked. "I wasn't aware that you were part of the Illuminators." 

You spared him a soft laugh, fingers toying with the flowy skirt of your dress. Under his gaze, you felt infuriatingly self-aware, wondering if he found the color of your outfit atrocious or endearing; if he thought you looked exquisite or plain today. And that line of thinking did nothing in contributing to your peace of mind. 

He'd been Daichi's regular sparring partner growing up, so you were closer to the prince than any regular Jane. But that closeness only served as a double-edged sword because you were now faced with an undeniable fondness for him that you knew from the start would be fruitless—all because you weren't born _normal_.

But he didn't need to know that. 

"I just dropped by to ask Radiant Kiyoko about our next few expeditions," you lied. "Honestly, I didn't have anything better to do, either." 

"I take it that you're free to go on a ride with me this afternoon, then?" The prince cracked a toothy grin that sent your heart aflutter.

"A...ride?" you echoed, blinking up at him in confusion. "You mean in a carriage?" 

He laughed airily, folding his arms across his chest. "On our horses, of course. You've always had a knack for racing." 

_Yes._ The answer almost immediately popped into your head once he cleared it out because, what person in their right mind would reject the offer of riding your horses around the courtyard with the prince, himself? 

Fate, however, decided that it was out to be a fickle mistress for the day.

"(Name)?" Lo and behold, Kiyoko re-emerged from the stronghold as she threw a cloak around her shoulders. There's a quiet urgency in her eyes that was difficult to ignore. "Do you have a moment? There's some material that got misplaced when the Mageseekers sacked—I mean, collected all magical items in the stronghold. I'd go there, myself, but the king summoned me for another important matter." Her lips stretched into a pleading smile. "Would you mind going in my place?" 

Your instinctive reaction was disappointment, not having expected to be given any semblance of an assignment. But even though you'd rather spend your afternoon racing against Tooru without care in the castle grounds, your conscience screamed for you to get yourself inside the Mageseeker Compound as soon as you could. The answers you were dying to find could be hidden between the pages of the confiscated spell books.

Your budding romance could wait. 

"I'm really sorry, Prince Tooru," you told him, lower lip jutting into a pout. 

"You Illuminators are always so loyal to your work, aren't you?" Tooru patted your head affectionately, that smile of his never ceasing. "Perhaps we can reschedule our plans for another time." 

The prince didn't prolong the exchange any more than he had to. Once he's confirmed that he couldn't exactly whisk you away to ride into the sunset, he went about his own business and headed to the other side of the hall; only sparing you and Kiyoko the most minimal of nods. 

* * *

"(Name) of the Illuminators." You brandished the order's golden insignia clipped on the collar of the uniform dress you changed into. "I'm here to collect the books that got mixed up under Radiant Kiyoko's endorsement." 

The knights stationed in front of the gates of the Mageseeker Compound were on two opposite ends of the spectrum. One looked like someone who hasn't cracked a smile since the day he first opened his eyes. His brows were permanently creased and the frown etched on his face as he squinted at your badge didn't make him seem any more welcoming. The silvery hair also added to his air of intimidation. The other one, however, had his hair put up in a way that reminded you of the roosters Ukai liked taking care of so much. He looked less uptight than Sir Frowns-a-lot, but his towering height told you that he still meant business. 

You sighed. Iron Vanguard knights really were different from the Kingsguard. 

"Lord Terushima didn't notify us of any guests arriving," Silver Knight questioned in a gravelly voice, latching his stone-eyed gaze onto you. 

Your own frown rivaled his own upon hearing the words. "What? I was said he'd be the one I'd meet with—"

"Only those on business with the Crown may enter," he interjected with a tone of finality. 

"Wait a minute," Rooster Knight interrupted, squinting down at you. "S-Sir Aone, isn't she the Kingsguard captain's sister?" 

That seemed to make a dent in Silver Knight's otherwise belligerent demeanor. His gaze was transfixed on you for a good five seconds before realizing his own mistake. Without another word, he stepped aside, tight-lipped but all-too willing. Rooster knight mimicked his actions but his face looked more apologetic than his partner's.

"T-Terribly sorry about that, Lady Sawamura," said Rooster Knight. "Sir Aone takes our job very seriously." 

It took you a moment to absorb the fact that they're granting you entry because you're a _Sawamura_. Daichi had told you about the privileges your family had that most didn't in the past, but you didn't think they'd come in handy now, of all times.

You spared them a curt nod before going inside. Rooster Knight, however, tailed you at a short distance. 

Bronze torch lights lined the bleak, granite walls, illuminating the space before you with each step you took. Overhead, the ceiling was adorned with golden banners embroidered with the kingdom's crest—a castle nestled in the middle of two sturdy oak trees. A velveteen carpet stretched forward, and it stopped before a set of massive wooden doors. 

"Sir Aone really wasn't lying when he said Lord Terushima didn't say anything about any guests arriving," he told you, the rustle of his chain mail with each movement almost deafening in your ears. "He actually just left shortly before you arrived, miss. But I don't think he'll mind if a Sawamura checks out the arcane registry."

"The...what?" 

Rooster Knight didn't answer your query until he opened the doors with a rusty key.

Quite used to the splendor of the Illuminators' library, the collection of books and bizarre items before you just seemed underwhelming. A thin layer of dust coated the shelves you passed and the staleness that hung in the air told you this room hadn't been used in a while. 

"The arcane registry is where the Mageseekers store confiscated objects," he supplied. "It's off-limits to most people, but most people aren't Sawamuras, are they?"

You couldn't really decide whether or not you'd take that as a compliment. Instead, you responded with a gentle hum, fingers caressing the spines of books that ignited your skin with a soft sizzle of magic. Yup. You were in the right place.

"Anyways, feel free to look around," Rooster Knight continued. "If you need anything, my name is Kanji Koganegawa. I'll be right outside guarding this place with my life along with Sir Aone, miss." 

"Okay. Thank you." 

Once Rooster Knight took his leave (yes, you know he just told you his name but the nickname stuck), you were able to breathe easier. Rather annoyed with the bleak lighting, you summoned a low flame in your hands—careful not to let it near any of the shelves. 

"There you are, the source of all my problems," you sighed, eyes riveted on the ember crackling with life in your palm. "Let's see if we can find a way to hide you a little better." 

* * *

"We can't just continue hoping for the best," Daichi's voice was borderline grim when he let the words out. "One day, she'll say the wrong thing to the wrong person or maybe even _worse_." 

The person on the other end of the conversation heaved a deep breath as he massaged his temples. Ukai had been training with the new batch of squires all day, so the captain understood his mentor's fatigue. Nonetheless, he listened to Daichi make his plights known in his study. 

"The light of Miyagi will find her... _flaws_ someday. And I won't be able to protect her," he said, voice barely a murmur. The bright orange cinders in Ukai's fireplace occupied his gaze with their crackling glow, and he couldn't help but think of the wisps of fire that sparked from your fingertips sometimes. 

Ukai sat in silence, taking each of Daichi's words into consideration, fingers laced together on top of his desk. After letting out a noise in understanding, his mentor turned to him. 

"All you have to do is to make sure that light won't come near her, then," he told him, gaze turning cautious. "I heard your friend, the prince, might be looking to marry." 

Daichi's brows nearly shot up to his hairline. "Prince Tooru? _Marrying_? I don't—why wasn't I informed of this?" 

"The Crown enjoys a privacy—an exemption from scrutiny—not afforded by anyone else in the kingdom." Ukai spoke suggestively as his fingers toyed with a straw figurine that resembled a knight. 

He was no fool. He knew what his mentor was going on about. 

The captain swallowed thickly. "If Tooru were to marry (Name), she'd be untouchable…"

"Not a soul would dare accuse her of anything," he agreed. 

It was a sound plan. Tooru was someone he could definitely entrust his little sister to, and Daichi has had a lasting hunch that you might have taken a liking towards the prince for a while now. Surely, bringing up a betrothal ceremony wouldn't be too strange. 

With a sigh, Daichi stood up, gathering his helmet to tuck underneath his arm. "Thank you, Lord Ukai. I'll head to the palace at daybreak." 

All of a sudden, Ukai pressed his fingers too deeply into the knight's torso, piercing the straw straight down the middle. Daichi raised an eyebrow, but Ukai merely discarded the ruined doll into the fire. 

"Someday, her roots will come back to haunt her," he muttered so quietly, Daichi almost didn't hear him. The captain frowned, but when Ukai didn't repeat himself, he knew that it wasn't his place to discuss.

He left his mentor's study just a half hour before midnight, and when he'd asked Yachi of your whereabouts, she told him you were yet to arrive back at the castle. That was odd. As far as he knew, you didn't have any Illuminator tasks pending. 

Then he thought of the possibility of Tooru snatching you off to go on another one of his evening strolls. The prince was rather impulsive with his nightly escapades, but given that he'd always bring you back to the Sawamura estate without a single hair out of place, Daichi's learned to trust him with your well-being ages ago. 

Maybe he could afford not to wait up for you tonight after all.

* * *

"Ugh…"

History books scrawled with names and dates you couldn't understand, potion recipes with impossible ingredients to find, curses too nauseating to read past the first sentence—you've read through all of these but still couldn't find anything about how to stop spurts of fire from shooting from your fingertips. 

Evening had already fallen, and though you've managed to find the lost materials Kiyoko made you retrieve, you opted to spend the entirety of your day sifting through the rest of what the arcane registry had to offer. You sought refuge in a desk tucked away in the back of the room, stacking tomes and spell books atop the other. You even brought out a collection of scrolls but you couldn't make sense of the language of runes no matter how many times you tried to decode them. 

Your eyes were beginning to feel heavy. How long had you been you holed up in here? And why was Rooster Knight complicit with your presence in the Mageseekers' library? 

Stretching out your aching joints, you got up, casting a fleeting glance at the books you gathered for Kiyoko before leading yourself towards one of the doors in the back. You'd meant to snoop around the area more, but all the reading got you carried away. 

It was unlocked when you tested it, giving way to another segment of the compound that wasn't visible from outside. The inky sky was blanketed with stars, and you couldn't help but crane your head upward. You've always had a fondness for star-gazing, but that was the least of your priorities right now. 

The quadrangle was built with a different material from the one's in the library. Its walls and flooring were made of stones of ivory that made you feel like your energy was being depleted the moment you set foot on it. 

Then, you vaguely recalled what you used to think was an ordinary day in your homeschooling sessions years ago. Your tutor had called the white stones that the defensive walls of Miyagi were made of _petricite_ —a mineral altered from the gargantuan trees from the Petricite Grove all the way in the Edo Hinterlands. They were made to deplete magic and weaken any mages that come too near it. 

But the magic-numbing properties seemed to get stronger and stronger as you made your way closer to the next building over. 

_Rooster Knight_ did _say to free feel to look around._

An arched entrance with no doors stood before you, and there didn't seem to be any guards in the vicinity. You gathered your skirts in tight fists, heartbeat roaring in your ears as you went inside. 

"Hello?" you called out, footsteps echoing across the high ceilings. Another statue of the Silver Swan stood proudly in the middle of the circular lobby, where several other doors were placed in even intervals. At this point, you were relying solely on your instincts when you decided to veer towards the first door to the left. 

A short stairwell greeted you, and when you intoned, "Is anyone here?" someone actually responded, to your surprise.

"Who's there?"

"Stop where you are!"

Two knights adorned with the same uniform as Silver and Rooster Knight intercepted you with their longswords drawn. You could feel yourself go pale with how close the tips of their weapons were to your face, but somehow, your voice still came out even when you identified yourself.

"Illuminators," you clarified. "I'm part of the Illuminators and I was looking for—"

"The Illuminators, huh?" the shorter of the two marvelled. "Truly an honor to be visited by one. But this place is restricted. We don't give tours to pious schoolgirls." 

You were about to snap at them that you were twenty years of age, but the entrance of another party emerging from the other end of the hallway made your voice falter.

"Where are you taking me?" an elderly man dressed in tattered clothes asked, milky eyes going in and out of focus. 

Another knight was supporting him, but this man, you actually knew. Futakuchi, the captain of the Iron Vanguard, sighed. "Your magic isn't fully contained. We have to try something stronger." 

You stepped aside, muttering, "Sorry for the intrusion,” as they made their way past you.

Something stronger? You could leave and pretend to have never heard that but—

"Actually," you articulated, "I'm (Name) Sawamura." 

Futakuchi whipped his head in your direction, eyes lighting up with recognition before turning to his subordinates. "You idiots drew your weapons on a _Sawamura_?" 

Shorter guy sputtered. "W-We didn't know." 

"You called her a schoolgirl!"

The captain clicked his tongue before kneeling down on one knee, taking you by surprise. He bowed his head before saying, "Lady Sawamura, I'd like to apologize on behalf of these imbeciles. If there's anything you need—"

"There is one thing."

He stopped himself, glancing up at you curiously before getting back on his feet. "What is it?" 

You vaguely gestured to the end of the hall. "I'd like to see what you've got locked away down there." 

A flash of hesitation hovered over Futakuchi's eyes, but he didn't give himself time to contemplate. Instead, he nodded his head at the taller knight, entrusting the old man to his care. 

"Right this way, miss." 

* * *

"Oi, lady!"

"You got any food?"

"Keep walkin', nothin' to see 'ere!"

"These are our retaining cells for people awaiting trial," Futakuchi talked over the discordant shouts of the prisoners trapped behind iron bars. 

You frowned, unable to tear your gaze away. "These are…mages?"

"They have yet to be convicted, but yes." 

So this was where Mageseekers kept the ones they arrested. You subconsciously searched for the boy they'd taken away a few days ago, but from what you've seen, none of the prisoners were children. 

The hallway seemed to stretch on for eternity, each cell you passed housing more hopeless inmates than the last. You could've sworn the one at the last cell wasn't even moving anymore. But once you reached the end of the hall, another staircase spiralled down to a lower level.

"What's down there?" you asked.

"I'm certain that it's nothing that would interest you, Lady Sawa—"

"I may be a _pious schoolgirl_ , but I think I can decide what interests me." 

Futakuchi looked like he was on the last of his patience when he heaved an exasperated sigh. Instead of voicing out his irritation, however, he wordlessly led you down the steps. 

"Miss, the people in the lower level cells are dangerous, and the means used to secure them are harsh but necessary," he warned. 

You rolled your eyes. "Captain, I am not as delicate as I look." 

Futakuchi raised an eyebrow before sparing you a soft chuckle. "I'm just making precautions. Who knows what Lord Sawamura will do to me if something happens to you." 

Then, the screams began.

"Stop! Make it stop!"

"I didn't do it!"

"No… I won't do it again, please!"

If the shouts of the upstairs prisoners unnerved you, the ones you heard on this level chilled you all the way to your bones. Their voices sounded so scratched, so gravelly—as if they'd devoted the time they spent trapped below begging for reprieve. The petricite was even stronger down here, and it took every ounce of self-preservation not to vomit in a corner. You could only imagine just how much these inmates went through.

"This can't be right…" you whispered. "Why do they have to suffer? Can't you just send them to the Edo Hinterlands?" 

Futakuchi avoided your gaze. "I'm afraid sometimes, exile isn't enough." 

"Drink it up," you overheard a familiar voice talking in one of the cells beside you. 

There, Kazuma, Terushima's secondhand man, was supporting a woman as he made her drink something out of a silver pitcher. Once she'd downed its contents, the woman began hacking uncontrollably, clawing at her chest as her eyes bugged out. Her face was red, unable to breathe, until she slumped into Kazuma's arms, unconscious. 

"That mage is afflicted with tremendous magic," Futakuchi supplied. "The petricite elixir quells—"

"I see what it does," you schooled your voice into neutrality. "Just…show me the rest."

He sighed. "You've seen it all, miss." 

You raised an eyebrow at him, pointing at a door guarded by another couple of knights with long-axes. "What's behind that, then?"

"There's absolutely no reason for you to go in there." 

Unconvinced, you said, "Open the door, please." 

"Lady Sawamura, no—"

Deciding to exhaust your Sawamura privilege into nothingness, you placed your hands on both of your hips. Putting on one of the faces that the more feminine and spoiled nobles your age brandished when they weren't getting what they wanted. 

"My family has defended the Crown for generations. My brother risks his life in the Kingsguard. My mentor can skewer your whole battalion, and I bet _none_ of them know about what you've got going on here." You narrowed your eyes. "You're opening that door." 

"But Lady Sawamura, that's _him_. Ushijima the Shackled." 

Your eyes widened at the mention of his name. Ushijima…he's the man convicted of murdering three Mageseekers a few years back. It caused such an uproar in the kingdom that his name was remembered even when the issue died down. 

You retrieved one of the torches mounted on the walls. "I-I need to see." 

Futakuchi looked like he's regretting not taking his day-off today when he told the knights to grant you entry. "Let her in. Only her." 

The doors closed behind you, and you had nothing but the light of the torch to come by.

This cell was much larger than those outside, like it had been meant to house multiple inmates. But as you stepped forward, you could only see one man seated in the middle—green eyes turning golden in the torch light.

"You're not a Mageseeker." His voice came out low, like a quiet rumble of thunder in the distance. 

"I'm…not," you replied, treading carefully.

You pointed the torch in his direction, taking a better look at him. The man behind the iron bars was massive in stature. There were no clothes on his back and he was only adorned with trousers so worn out, it wouldn't be a surprise that he's been in here for years. Sweat and grime glinted across his skin, and you couldn't help but gasp at the sight of him. Uneven stubble covered the lower half of a handsome face, and his auburn hair had already grown past his shoulders. 

"Do you not find it strange?" he asked. "How I am in here, yet you are out there. Who are you?" 

"No one," you insisted, his voice alone sending shivers across your skin. 

He sighed, shifting in his seat. It was only there where you noticed that his wrists were bound in large, petricite cuffs with iron chains tying him in place. 

"You are definitely not _no one_ ," he told you. "No…you're someone special. You are just like me."   
  
How did he _know_?

You could feel your blood run cold. Mouth turning sandpaper-dry, you retaliated with, "No. What are you—" 

"I'll ask you once again." The chains rustled as he stood up to his full height, instilling you with so much fear that you dropped the torch. However, he managed to catch it in between the iron bars before it clattered uselessly to the floor. His eyes gazed at you with calm rage. 

"How am I in here, yet you are out there, _mage_?" 

The long evening came to an end when you bolted out of the compound, having forgotten why you were even there in the first place—all because a man with smoldering, olive eyes managed to sniff you out for what you actually were. 

Little did you know, you'll be coming right back to what you were running from.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> back at it again with these post now edit tomorrow chapters <3 idk how long this is…prolly 4k YEESH


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